Last week’s headlines included results of vitamin C gummy purchased on Amazon, GNC plans to re-establish its presence in Singapore, and Dr. Heidi Overton’s nomination to be the next commissioner of the U.S. FDA.
Vitamin C gummy tests returns ‘deeply disappointing results’
U.S. natural products manufacturer NOW reported test results of 25 vitamin C gummy supplements sold on Amazon and found that only 13 met their label claims while 12 contained almost no detectable vitamin C.
Nearly half of the non-legacy brands failed potency testing, with some products claiming 1,000 mg per gummy containing less than 2 mg, and the company highlighted issues of dishonest marketing, labeling, and testing methods.
“After nine years of conducting these rounds of marketplace testing, it is deeply disappointing to still see so many substandard products being sold to consumers,” said Dan Richard, NOW’s vice president of global sales and marketing.
Despite repeatedly presenting these findings to Amazon and the FDA, NOW reports no significant action has been taken to address or remove substandard products from the marketplace.
GNC to re-establish standalone stores in Singapore
GNC is re-establishing standalone stores in Singapore, as well as building market presence via a partnership with health and beauty retail chain Guardian.
The new development comes as the Pittsburgh-based health supplement company enters into an exclusive distribution partnership with DFI Retail Group - the parent company of Guardian.
Standalone stores would offer a specialized experience for customers seeking more products from GNC and its presence in Guardian would increase its reach to new potential consumers.
“Guardian gives GNC’s range broad accessibility across our extensive retail network, while standalone stores offer a deeper, more specialized experience for customers actively seeking out a wider range of products from GNC and third-party brands that will be introduced to Singapore’s customers,” a DFI spokeswoman told NutraIngredients.
GNC’s products, including vitamins, minerals and sport nutrition, will be available in Guardian’s online and offline stores and in GNC’s standalone stores as soon as Q4.
Heidi Overton nominated to lead FDA
Dr. Heidi Overton, a medical director and former chief policy officer at the America First Policy Institute, has been nominated by President Trump to lead the FDA, pending Senate confirmation.
Overton is regarded as a “blank slate” by supplement industry leaders, with stakeholders noting her commitment to scientific principles, regulatory caution on unapproved peptide injections, and support for expanded access to consumer health products.
The American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) said it supports Dr. Overton’s nomination because she has led CBD policy at the White House Domestic Policy Council.
“In our engagement with her, AHPA has found her committed to strong scientific principles alongside a pro-innovation posture,” said Graham Rigby, AHPA president and CEO. “When contributing to the development of policy for full-spectrum CBD products, she consulted not only scientific literature but also key industry resources, including the AHPA Hemp Lexicon. Her work on crucial hemp and CBD policy demonstrates a clear commitment to health, science and patient access to health-promoting products.”
